2006-2007 FIFPro World XI Shortlist

By: Bob | September 26th, 2007

If you and I sat down at a pub and tried to pick the best XI football players in the world we probably could spend all night arguing about it before stumbling home to pass out in a puddle of drool. Sounds like a good time. You free on Saturday night? It might be fun for the 45,000 players who make up the FIFPro (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballers Professionnels) to also share libations while they make their all-XI selections, but instead each year they are asked to fill out a survey. Today we learn the names of the 55 players who have been shortlisted for the 2006-2007 World XI.

As is almost always the case, the list is made up of names from the leagues that get the most exposure and is a glorified example of a popularity contest. Twenty players played in the English Premier League last season, 17 in Spain, 15 in Italy, 2 in Germany, and one each in France and Argentina.

AC Milan heads the list for the most nominations with nine, Manchester United have eight, Barcelona, Chelsea and Real Madrid seven, Valencia, Liverpool, Inter, AS Roma and Bayern Munich two.

As for nationalities, Italy leads the way with the most players in the short list with eleven, followed by nine Englishmen, seven from Brazil, six from Spain, four from Argentina, three from Holland, France and Portugal, and Bulgaria, Germany, Romania, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Cameroon each provide one player in the 55.

The World XI will be announced on October 5, 2007.

The 55 player shortlist in full is: (Home country/ Club 2006/2007)

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/ Juventus), Iker Casillas (Spain/ Real Madrid), Petr Cech (Czech Republic/ Chelsea), Nelson de Jesus Silva ‘Dida’ (Brazil/ AC Milan), Edwin van der Sar (Holland/ Manchester United)

Defenders: Éric Abidal (France/ Olympique Lyon), Daniel Alves (Brazil/ Sevilla), Roberto Ayala (Argentina/ Valencia), Fabio Cannavaro (Italy/ Real Madrid), Roberto Carlos da Silva (Brazil/ Real Madrid), Jamie Carragher (England/ Liverpool), Ricardo Carvalho (Portugal/ Chelsea), Cristian Chivu (Romania/ AS Roma), Ashley Cole (England/ Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (England/ Manchester United), Philipp Lahm (Germany/ Bayern Munich), Ferreira Lucio (Brazil/Bayern Munich), Paolo Maldini (Italy/ AC Milan), Marco Materazzi (Italy/ Inter), Alessandro Nesta (Italy/ AC Milan), Carles Puyol (Spain/ Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain/ Real Madrid), John Terry (England/ Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Serbia/ Manchester United), Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy/ Barcelona).

Midfielders: David Beckham (England/ Real Madrid), Anderson Deco (Portugal/ Barcelona), Mickaël Essien (Ghana/ Chelsea), Gennaro Gattuso (Italy/ AC Milan), Steven Gerrard (England/ Liverpool), Andrès Iniesta (Spain/ Barcelona), Ricardo Kaká (Brazil/ AC Milan), Frank Lampard (England/ Chelsea), Claude Makélélé (France/ Chelsea), Andrea Pirlo (Italy/ AC Milan), Juan Roman Riquelme (Argentina/ Villareal/Boca Juniors), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/ Manchester United), Paul Scholes (England/ Manchester United), Clarence Seedorf (Holland/ AC Milan), Xavi (Spain/ Barcelona).

Forwards: Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria/ Tottenham Hotspur), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/ Chelsea), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon/ Barcelona), Thierry Henry (France/ Arsenal), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/ Inter), Filippo Inzaghi (Italy/ AC Milan), Lionel Messi (Argentina/ Barcelona), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Holland/ Real Madrid), Ronaldinho (Brazil/ Barcelona), Ronaldo (Brazil/ Real Madrid/ AC Milan), Wayne Rooney (England/ Manchester United), Carlos Tévez (Argentina/ West Ham United), Luca Toni (Italy/ Fiorentina), Francesco Totti (Italy/ AS Roma), David Villa (Spain/ Valencia)